Copper per pound — today's reference
Copper (bare bright)
$5.82/ lb
-2.41%
Updated 03:22:04 UTC
The price of copper per pound is the most-asked-about number in the scrap world. The exchange-listed spot price is one input; what the scale house actually pays is another. Understanding both helps you plan a sale.
Spot vs. scale-house
The pipeline:
- COMEX or LME spot — published live during trading hours
- Mill purchase price — typically 95–98% of spot
- Yard purchase price (from sellers) — typically 80–95% of mill purchase, depending on grade
So a $4.50/lb spot doesn't mean $4.50 to your pocket. A reasonable bare-bright payout from that spot would be:
- High-end yard: $4.10–$4.25/lb
- Mid-range yard: $3.85–$4.10/lb
- Smaller yard: $3.55–$3.85/lb
Volatility considerations
Copper can move 2–4% in a single trading session on macro news. Yards protect against this by:
- Widening their discount to spot during volatile periods
- Repricing intraday rather than holding a morning quote
- Refusing to quote over the phone when markets are moving fast
For sellers, this means quoted prices may not hold across long delays between call and arrival.
Practical timing tips
- Avoid Mondays after weekend macro news
- Avoid late-Friday transactions when liquidity thins
- Mid-week, mid-day is typically the most-stable window